The sport of fishing for bone fish, permit and tarpon has been growing in popularity for half a century. The sport commonly referred to as “flats fishing” requires anglers to pursue their query on salt water flats which range from a few inches to a couple of feet in depth. A number of hard shelled boats, generally called flats boats or flats skiffs, have been designed to carry fishermen to and upon these productive salt water shallows. The problem is these craft are expensive, require substantial vehicles with trailers for transport and require a large commitment of time and money to store and maintain them.
Inflatable boats have been in use for decades. A common design includes two parallel side tubes that curve together in the front forming a bow. In the stern, the two parallel side tubes attach to and are connected by a transom. A bottom piece is glued or welded to the bottom of the side tubes, transom, and bow forming a water proof seal resulting in a conventional inflatable boat with a dry interior.
Stand up paddleboarding (SUP) has been growing in popularity for several years now and offers a fun, relaxing way to enjoy the water. This aquatic activity involves employing an oversized surfboard in combination with a paddle for propulsion. With a minimum of gear, you can paddle ocean surf, lakes and rivers with no waves required. A paddleboard is light and easy to transport, so one can easily access water that boats cannot. Additionally, paddleboarding delivers a full body workout and has become a popular cross-training activity. The paddleboards available on the market today include rigid foam or fiberglass boards and inflatable boards.
Inflatable stand up paddleboards have been in use for several years and are constructed by making an inflatable drop stitch (DS) air-tight envelope of PVC impregnated polyester fabric or other coated or impregnated fabric into the shape of a conventional paddleboard that can be inflated through a valve. This drop stitch manufacturing creates a board that may be inflated to very high pressures, resulting in rigidity similar to a hard board. Some benefits of inflatable boards over hard boards are their durability and transportability.
One object of the present invention is to provide a light weight inflatable boat that includes a conventional inflatable paddle board designed to closely fit inside the floor of the boat, so that when both are inflated the resulting air pressure and friction firmly join the two together. This combination makes it possible for two people to stand up and cast fishing lines, stand up and pole with a push pole, stand up to search for fish, or use the resulting stable platform to dive or step into the water. An essential part of this invention is that the boat can be deflated, and the paddleboard floor can easily be removed, re-inflated and used as an inflatable stand up paddleboard. This version of watercraft is portable in the trunk of a medium sized automobile or SUV and can be owned and operated at a fraction of the cost of the larger, heavier, flats craft which are made out of rigid materials such as wood, fiber glass, or metal.
None of the prior art discloses or describes an inflatable boat designed to have an inflatable paddleboard floor that provides stability for fishing and diving, wherein the floor can be removed and function independently as a stand up paddleboard.